Smartest way to turn my stuff into cash

Kamar

Alright, so I'm in a bit of a pickle. My friend's mom fucked up some paperwork somewhere and long story short he can't give me the money he owes me today, which means I can't pay rent today. And that would be bad because I'm on a week-to-week and it's implied being late will be an insta-boot.

Now, I'm sure I COULD say 'fuck off' and use tenant laws to keep a roof over my head for the month until my paychecks are normal, but that won't look very good when I start looking for a real place to rent in a month or two.

So I need to turn some of the stuff I have around into cash, or find another way to get $200 today. What I'm wondering is, which is the best way to screw myself?

Valuable things I have:
A brand new PS3 160gb Slim with one game and one controller
a netbook
a relatively valuable (like $200 new?) gold ring with a onyx centerpiece and two small diamonds in insets on the side...sized for kid-me.
a Palm Pre Plus smartphone, in good condition but the charger is busted
nice Ray-Ban sunglasses (~$150 new)

I don't really have any other ways to get money on short notice. Being self-employed and having almost no work the last month (my main client has been changing to a new management system, work is returning but the paychecks won't show up fast enough to cover this week or next week's rent, hence needing my friend's debts paid), I don't think I can get any sort of payday loan dealie although if you guys know differently let me know.

I have shit credit so I can't like, walk into my bank and get a credit card to carry me. Craigslist would take too long, I think?

So I guess my only option is pawning stuff. What should I look out for/be wary of? Should I name a figure for each thing/the lot or do I have to just take what they offer (or walk out still broke), I don't know if places like that bargain or not? Or would I be better off finding a place that buys used electronics outright, since I can always afford to replace these things at full value when I have the money?

I'm also considering having my friend take out a title loan on the car I sold him (the reason he owes me, the paperwork problem was selling his own van to pay me and finding out his title was signed over wrong by his mother) and clearing it up when I get my paychecks (as long as I don't go under I don't really give a shit if he every pays me back in full, he's done me a lot of favors). But I'm not sure how bad I'd get fucked on that (although again, as long as I have a few weeks for paychecks to turn normal, getting fucked a bit isn't a big deal).

This was sort of meandering, so I guess just let me know any advice that pops into your head reading this.

Molybdenum

Have you talked to your landperson(s)? Even if that's pretty much guaranteed to go nowhere, you ought to at least try before selling your stuff.

Kamar

I did, she went from too-happy nice dog lady to 'I've made some exceptions for you, I don't think it's much to ask for you to pay on time' landlord in a heartbeat. The exception being taking rent weekly instead of monthly (paycheck/friend repaying me shenanigans required it). I'd rather not piss her off if I don't have to, given that.

Especially since I'm renting her downstairs and still have to interact with her to use the kitchen etc., so I can't do the tenant/landlord cold war thing I've done in the past.

Molybdenum

any friends or family (other than vanguy, of course) that can spot you the money?
donated blood recently?
Does your landlord have any maintenance or upkeep or other labor she'd be willing to trade for rent credit?

darqness

I've managed a pawn shop, and I can tell you that my general rule of thumb is I will loan 50% of what I think I can sell the item for.
So on a PS3 I'd offer $75.00, the netbook $100, and pass on the cell phone and glasses.
On jewelery you'll most likely just get the value of the gold itself since it's been so high for the last couple of years. So if you buy a 14k ring from a jewelery store for $200.00, and it weighs 1/10 of a oz, then I'll be offering $30.00.
Also be aware that some pawn shops have CRAZY high interest rates. Ours is 20% every 30 days, or 240% APR! That's how we make our money. It's the fastest way to get money, but it's also a terrible way to get the MOST money out of your property.

Kamar

1.I'm begging everyone I can, we'll see as the day continues.

2. No, why?

3. I already do a share of that stuff as part of my rent agreement (I got boned, yes, but shitty credit+broke+unreliable income=not a lot of options).

TychoCelchuuu

See if you can donate plasma. You'll get to meet a lot of interesting heroin addicts and make some money too. If it's your first time ever there's generally quite a bit of waiting involved.

amateurhour

Darq is dead on with the pawn shop estimates... They don't care about whatever gem is in the ring, unless it's a nice diamond. They only care about the gold.

edit: I noticed you said it had two small diamonds in it, but they won't matter if they're not a higher carat.

Also, that palm pre is a paperweight now that webos is out the door. The HP Palm stores were selling them for five bucks when they closed out inventory. It's useless.

I'd sell the netbook first and then the PS3 if you have to, and look into donating plasma.

Personally, I'd consider selling the stuff at different shops. If I was running a shop and saw someone walk in with gold, game systems, a laptop, glasses and a phone I'd assume either a) he's desperate for cash and I can make a quick buck and undervalue everything to get whatever his minimum is or b) it's all stolen and I'd either do the same as a) or turn it down outright.

Kamar

Looks like I was wrong about Craigslist, got someone willing to buy the PS3 today for enough to cover me. I might have to do this all over again next week, of course, but my friend should have stuff straightened out by then/I can pressure him into the title loan I mentioned.

Fuzzy Cumulonimbus Cloud

You might want to consider getting a job, even if it is min wage, so that you don't have to go through this every week. Not meant to be condescending, just, it seems like self-employment isn't working out for you so well.

Kamar

I'm already working again. The only thing to do now is wait for the paychecks to come in; I make $70/hr+ writing, so minimum wage would be a BIT of a step down.

My primary client decided to spring sudden revisions to their management system on their contractors last month to deal with massive unexpected growth, freezing almost all work until very recently. Now things are coming back online.

The one thing I'm going to change is that from now on I won't work just enough to pay my bills and have some fun. I'll spend a few months putting a grand or two back, so I'm not caught with my pants down if something similar happens.

spool32

Can I ask what you're writing? Sounds like a nice gig if you can get the emergency cushion set aside.

Kamar

I write copy for an image management firm. I'm also under fairly restrictive NDAs, or I'd give more details.

I should note that I get paid per word and write two or three (or four) times as fast as my fellow contractors. I doubt many people working for them make as much as I do per hour.

superwoot

here is a funny one, but it works. When there is a big release or something in a big city, be in the front of line and sell ur spot. For the Apple 4s, i made $300.

superwoot.

Enc

Have you looked into going to an Amscot or some other pay-day advancing company?

Dr. Frenchenstein

Aren't payday loans even worse than pawnshop loans?

they might be tough to swing with a non regular paycheck as well.

Esh

superwoot wrote:

here is a funny one, but it works. When there is a big release or something in a big city, be in the front of line and sell ur spot. For the Apple 4s, i made $300.

superwoot.

And the people behind you didn't raise a fuss?

Enc

Dr. Frenchenstein wrote:

Aren't payday loans even worse than pawnshop loans?

they might be tough to swing with a non regular paycheck as well.

Yeah, they can be. But at this point if its cash or boot, all options should be on the table. Especially when he will have the coin to fix it shortly.

Tox

Also you should take this as a very serious lesson never to do business with friends. You either end up in situations like this, or you lose friends. Sometimes both.

superwoot

Esh wrote:

superwoot wrote:

here is a funny one, but it works. When there is a big release or something in a big city, be in the front of line and sell ur spot. For the Apple 4s, i made $300.

superwoot.

And the people behind you didn't raise a fuss?

One lady did, but I was polite in telling her that I had every right as an american to trade places, and he had every right as an american to pay me for my time. And honestly, What is she going to do? "yes officer, this man waited in line longer than I did, then he decided to sell his position in line in exchange for money!" lmao

as long as it is under $400.00, it is "classified" as general labor, and completely legal. The person that paid could even write it off as a "business expense" under "contracted labor", as long as it stays under that $400 mark.

Aioua

superwoot wrote:

Esh wrote:

superwoot wrote:

here is a funny one, but it works. When there is a big release or something in a big city, be in the front of line and sell ur spot. For the Apple 4s, i made $300.

superwoot.

And the people behind you didn't raise a fuss?

One lady did, but I was polite in telling her that I had every right as an american to trade places, and he had every right as an american to pay me for my time. And honestly, What is she going to do? "yes officer, this man waited in line longer than I did, then he decided to sell his position in line in exchange for money!" lmao

as long as it is under $400.00, it is "classified" as general labor, and completely legal. The person that paid could even write it off as a "business expense" under "contracted labor", as long as it stays under that $400 mark.

Just because something is legal doesn't mean it's moral.

superwoot

Ohhhhhh, cuz its sooooo terrible! lololol! If you don't like it, get there sooner!

ceres

Hi, back on topic now.